Category: MENA

SHUNDE. China, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Midea Group Co., Ltd. (000333CH) was honoured as a pioneer of Industry 4.0 technologies with two factories, Midea Heifei and Midea Jingzhou, included in the Global Lighthouse Network of the World Economic Forum (WEF), showing the Group’s efforts in achieving both production efficiency and sustainability.

The Global Lighthouse Network is a community of production sites and value chains which are world leaders in the adoption and integration of the cutting-edge technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). In total, Midea Group owns 4 WEF Lighthouse factories covering smart home appliances, which account for a relatively high proportion of the Group’s revenue.

“Our factory used to produce high-end and middle-end products at the same time, and our production faced a very big challenge,” commented Li Zhen, General Manager of Midea Jingzhou factory. “It was very inefficient in the traditional manufacturing way, and difficult to meet the needs of our consumers in time.”

Through the implementation of the digital and intelligent transformation measures, Midea Jingzhou lighthouse factory adopted flexible automation. loT and artificial intelligence with more than 2,000 digital transformation initiatives have increased labor productivity by 52%, and reduced production lead time by 25%, the failure rate by 53%, and the utility consumption per unit by 20%.

Midea washing machine factory in Hefei has also witnessed a similar revolution. The number of product SKUs exceeds 1,100 and the annual production and sales volume of Midea Hefei is also at the forefront. “Digitalization has driven the transformation of our entire business process, model and increased efficiency,” according to Zhang Zhimin, General Manager of the factory.

Targeting domestic high-end product segments and overseas market expansion, Midea Hefei Advanced 4IR Lighthouse factory widely deploys artificial intelligence and loT technologies across end-to-end value chains to form a faster response and more efficient supply chain, resulting in lead time reduction by 56%, customer report defect rate reduction by 36%, and labor productivity improvement by 45%. Also, it also helps to meet the goal of achieving carbon emissions peak in 2025 and net-zero in 2040.

“In the future, Midea Group will continue to increase investment in digitalization, IoT, global breakthroughs and technological leadership and invest in new cutting-edge technologies,” said Simon Zhang, CIO of Midea Group.

About Midea Group Co., Ltd.
Midea Group, with the vision of “bringing great innovations to life”, has upheld the philosophy of creating a better life with technology for 54 years since its establishment. Today, Midea has evolved into a sci-tech conglomerate, specializing in Smart Home Business, Industrial Technologies, Building Technologies, Robotics & Automation, and Digital Innovation Business. Over the past five years, nearly 45 billion RMB has been invested in R&D, with 35 R&D centers and 35 major production bases in the world. Our products and services benefit about 500 million consumers in over 200 countries/regions.

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GENEVA, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has appointed iGroup founder and YPO‘s Global Chairman Anastasios Economou to the Advisory Board of its Division for Multilateral Diplomacy. The two-year term takes effect from January 2022 to December 2024.

UNITAR is a dedicated training and capacity development institute within the United Nations system aiming to empower individuals, governments and organizations through knowledge and learning to effectively overcome contemporary global challenges. Within the framework of the Institute, the Division for Multilateral Diplomacy supports the intergovernmental machinery and governing bodies of the United Nations by empowering delegates and diplomats.

The main purpose of the Division’s Advisory Board is to provide guidance and leadership that would enable the Division to deliver on its mandate and overcome the major multilateral challenges facing the United Nations. The Advisory Board will also provide critical analysis of the activities of the Division to ensure the respect of quality standards in compliance with UNITAR mandate and UN guidelines.

Mr. Economou is the 69^th global chairman of YPO, an organization dedicated to offering lifelong learning and idea exchange opportunities to more than 30,000 chief executive members located in 142 countries around the world.

YPO members are connected by the belief that the world needs better leaders, which they explore through a variety of learning experiences, including the opportunity to engage with leading business and academic institutions such as Harvard Business School, INSEAD and London Business School.

Throughout his tenure at YPO, serving in multiple roles on international, regional and chapter levels, Mr. Economou has spearheaded many defining initiatives for the organization along with his member peers, who represent diverse backgrounds of cultures, perspectives, ideas and expertise.

“It is an honor to be appointed to UNITAR’s Division for Multilateral Diplomacy’s Advisory Board,” says Mr. Economou. “By sharing my experiences from leading a global learning organization like YPO, I hope to best serve and support the board and its goal of fostering multilateral diplomacy within the United Nations.”

“We are delighted to welcome Mr. Economou to the Division of Multilateral Diplomacy’s Advisory Board and are looking forward to jointly work on expanding the Division’s positive impact on its beneficiaries in line with UNITAR’s mandate and the overall UN vision,” said Mr. Rabih El-Haddad, Director of UNITAR’s Division for Multilateral Diplomacy.

About UNITAR:

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a principal training arm of the United Nations, working in every region of the world. We empower individuals, governments and organizations through knowledge and learning to effectively overcome contemporary global challenges. UNITAR was established in 1965 as an autonomous body within the United Nations with the mandate of enhancing the effectiveness of the work of the United Nations and its Member States. Every year UNITAR’s reach extends to some 300,000 beneficiaries through face-to-face seminars and workshops, e-learning or other training-related events. (www.unitar.org)

About YPO:

YPO is the global leadership community of more than 30,000 chief executives in 142 countries who are connected by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders. Each of our members have achieved significant leadership success at a young age. Combined, they lead businesses and organizations contributing USD9 trillion in annual revenue with more than 22 million employees. YPO members inspire and support each other through peer learning and exceptional experiences in an inclusive community of open sharing and trust. Visit ypo.org for more.